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Selected conservation management strategies enhance maize yield stability in the sub‑humid tropical agro‑ecozone of Upper Eastern Kenya

Kiboi, Milka; Musafiri, Collins; Fliessbach, Andreas; Ng'etich, Onemus; Wakindiki, Isaiah and Ngetich, Felix (2023) Selected conservation management strategies enhance maize yield stability in the sub‑humid tropical agro‑ecozone of Upper Eastern Kenya. Scientific Reports, 13 (21728), pp. 1-9.

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Document available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-49198-8


Summary

Conservation management strategies have been recommended to enhance soil fertility, moisture retention, crop yield, and yield stability in rainfed agriculture. However, there is limited research on yield stability. We evaluated the effect of integrating soil inputs in conservation tillage on yield and yield stability in Meru South, Upper Eastern Kenya, for eleven consecutive cropping seasons. The trial treatments included conservation tillage without soil inputs (Mt), conservation tillage with soil inputs: sole inorganic fertilizer (F), residue + inorganic fertilizer (RF), residue + inorganic fertilizer + manure (RFM), residue + manure + legume Dolichos Lablab L. (RML), residue + Tithonia + manure (RTM), residue + Tithonia + phosphate rock (RTP) and conventional tillage (Control). Conservation tillage with RFM was the best-fit strategy for enhancing yields. There was heterogeneity in yield residual variance. A larger residual variance implied lesser yield stability. Mt treatment had the least yield residual variance of 0.12 Mg ha−2, followed by Ct and RML, 0.15 Mg ha−2, while RTM had the highest yield residual variance of 0.62 Mg ha−2. Contrarily, the most stable treatments had the least average yields. The study indicated a positive influence of incorporating soil inputs in conservation tillage on yield and suggests longer-term research for yield stability.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Keywords:soil fertility, tillage, maize yield, Kenya, Abacus, FiBL10082, Orm4Soil
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
soil fertility
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7170
English
tillage
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7771
English
maize
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_12332
English
Kenya
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4086
Subjects: Soil > Soil quality
Crop husbandry > Soil tillage
"Organics" in general > Countries and regions > Africa
Research affiliation: Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > International > Agriculture in the Tropics and Subtropics
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Soil > Soil fertility
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Soil > Tillage
Kenya
DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-49198-8
Related Links:https://www.fibl.org/en/themes/projectdatabase/projectitem/project/965, https://www.orm4soil.net/orm-home.html
Deposited By: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, FiBL
ID Code:51943
Deposited On:11 Dec 2023 10:47
Last Modified:11 Dec 2023 10:47
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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